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Jan 10, 2016

5 Autoimmune Disorders That Have Met Their Match

Autoimmune Disorders affect up to 50 million Americans, 75 percent of those being women. The root of these conditions remain a topic of much debate with theories ranging from bacterial infections and viruses to environmental irritants and recreational drug abuse.

Though symptoms may vary, all autoimmune diseases result when inflammation prompts the body to attack itself. In healthy people, the immune system is able to correctly determine invading foreign agents and either ward them off or eliminate them.

However, in those with autoimmune disorders, the immune system fails to differentiate between foreign intruders and the individual’s body. The resulting self-inflicted damage can ravage organs, cause pain, and even lead to death.

Currently, Western Medicine doesn’t recognize any official cures for autoimmune disorders. Treatments, which include anti-depressants and steroids, only focus on the alleviation of symptoms.

“Instead of just numbing the pain symptoms, CBD actually addresses the causes of the painful contractions in the first place,” explains McMahon who uses CBD to successfully treat his Chron’s. “It turns out we, as human beings, actually have natural receptors for cannabinoids, which is one of the reasons they work so well.”

And since CBD does not produce any psychoactive effects, it has minimal side effects, and is non-toxic and non-addictive.

“In my experiences, I’ve typically used CBD oil with individuals who have neurological and autoimmune challenges. CBD is neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory which gives greater control over inflammation and neurodegeneration,” says Brandon Mentore, Functional Medicine Practitioner and Sports Nutritionist. “There are very few things that CBD doesn’t improve partially because we have what’s known as an endogenous endocannabinoid system in our body.”

The best way to describe this system is to use the analogy of vitamin D. There are vitamin D receptors in every tissue in our body and this is the system that interfaces with sunlight. The endocannabinoid system interfaces with the plant world and we receive all the benefits through this system. It’s crucial to homeostasis, pain reduction, neurotransmitter levels, and much more.

5 Autoimmune Disorders CBD Has Shown Great Promise In Helping:

Rheumatoid Arthritis. CBD has exhibited significant potential to treat this painful chronic inflammatory disease, which affects approximately 1 percent of the population. In one research experiment at Hebrew University, lab mice with a version of RA experienced a reduction of inflammation by 50 percent at the right dosages.

Fibromyalgia. One in every 50 Americans live with the fatigue and pain associated with this autoimmune disease. CBD relieves inflamed connective tissue, and can help ease insomnia and anxiety associated with the condition. In a recent survey, published by Care By Design, 100 percent of fibromyalgia patients reported that they experienced a reduction in pain after using CBD-rich cannabis for at least 30 days. More than 80 percent of surveyed patients also experienced an improved sense of well-being.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). CBD has shown itself to be an effective alternative to conventional anti-IBD drugs for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, and Crohn’s disease. The reason(s) behind CBD’s success remains uncertain to medical professionals, but recent research shows that CBD acts as a potent inhibitor of gut inflammation. While research on CBD’s effect on IBD is ongoing, the use of cannabis to treat bowel disorders has a lengthy history. In fact, over a century ago, cannabis was prescribed to treat diarrhea.

Diabetes Type 2. There are currently 375 million Type 2 Diabetes patients worldwide and an expected forecast of 550 million by 2030. In one study, non-obese mice who received CBD had a decreased incidence of diabetes. CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties are theorized to improve the body’s metabolism and prevent insulin-resistance.